Monday, March 23, 2009

...and another math book makes him happy.

E. loves his math. Reading is okay, if his siblings are doing it with him, or if he's reading "just for fun." But math, that will be a willing assignment on any given day, especially with this new book - it's bright and shiny and filled with a ton of new "projects!"This book comes for our review from Critical Thinking Press. Here is a quote from their website:

We design critical thinking into reading, writing, math, science and history lessons so students carefully analyze what they are learning. Deeper analysis produces deeper understanding, which results in better grades and higher test scores. Over time, students who practice critical thinking learn to apply it throughout their education and life.

We do not teach through drill and memorization or teach to the tests—we empower the mind! Our goals are higher grades, top test scores, and problem solving skills to meet all of life’s challenges. The Critical Thinking Company is recommended by Mensa, Learning Magazine, The Well Trained Mind, Dr. Toy, Creative Child Magazine, and used by Sylvan Learning Centers, Club Z In-Home Tutoring, leading U.S. public schools, and gifted & talented programs in 57 countries throughout the world. We guarantee better grades and higher test scores—or your money back. Lofty goals and high praise!

For my non-homeschooling friends, this site is rich with resources for all learners, as well as traditional school teachers and parents.

I found this book to be a visual delight. I would not use it as a primary math curriculum, as it does not seem to be laid out in this way, but it is a neat supplemental material, and easy to grab one topic to work on.

My only criticism: (and some would consider this a "plus") the pages are not removable. I would like to pick-and-choose pages for E. to work on and save the rest for Littlest, but instead, we'll have to just save the whole book. This will bug my slightly-obsessive-in-small-areas self!

update: An email from a friend: Two words: EXACTO KNIFE!! When E is done with the math book, use an exacto knife to easily cut out the pages from the spine that he doesn’t use to save them for Isaac. Wow, what a great idea! I am TOTALLY doing this!

"How can it be a large career to tell other people's children about (arithmetic), and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone? No; a woman's function is laborious because it is gigantic, not because it is minute."- G.K. Chesterton